Device for automatically closing the covers of water-closets or other receptacles



(No Model.)

W. R. WEBSTER.

DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY GLOSING THE COVERS OF WATER GLOSE'I'S,

OR OTHER REGEPTAGLES.

No. 475,170. Patented May 17, 1892.

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the cover.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W'ALTER RIOE XVEBSTER, OF PINE GROVE, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING THE COVERS OEWATER-CLOSETS OR OTHER RECEPTACLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,170, dated May 17, 1892.

Application filed May 16, 1891. Serial No. 393,001- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER RICEWEB- STER, of Pine Grove, in the county of Amador and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Automatically Closing the Covers of WVater- Closets or other Receptacles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention, while applicable to the lids or covers of other receptacles or structures, is more especially designed to be used in connection with the hinged covers of water-closets, and will here be described accordingly.

The invention, which secures an easy automatic closing of the cover of the water-closet or receptacle after use of the latter, operates by the combined action of a metallic or other spring and air-cushioning cylinder and piston devices through the intervention of suitable levers and connections, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a water-closet seat with the coverinits closed position and showing the upper or exposed portion of the device for automatically closing Fig. 2 is a vertical mainly sectional view of the frame portion of the closet and seat, its cover in closed position, and the bowl in part, and having my automatic coverclosing means applied; and Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the cover raised or thrown back. Fig. 4 is a partly-sectional view of an air-inlet valve applied to the cushioning portion of the device, and Fig. 5 is a view of an adjustable air-vent also applied thereto.

A indicates the main frame or box portion of a water-closet, including its seat I), and B indicates the bowl.

0 is the cover, hinged as at c c.

D isaplate sitting on the frame-work of the closet back of the cover and secured thereto, as by screws cl, and further secured to a cylinder cap-plate E below, as by screw-bolts e. Said plate D has a socket f projecting from its under side through the frame-work, up and down through which and the plate a pistonrod F is free to closely slide, said socket acting as a guide to the rod. Pivoted to the upper end of this rod F, as at g, is a bell-crank lever or connection G, which in its turn is connected, as by a pivot h, to a lever or rod H, hinged or pivoted to the plate D at its back, as by a pivot 2', and which lever-piece G is further connected, as by a pivot k, to another lever or rod I, hinged or pivoted, as at Z, to the cover 0 in front of its hinges 0. These lever connections G, H, and I all work within alimited upright space and form almost a frictionless intervening means between the spring and air-cushioning devices that control the lid and the lid itself. The pivot 9 may be a screw-and-socket one.

J is a lower upright cylinder having an upper head m screwed into or otherwise fixedly secured to it and having a lower head n screwed onto its bottom end and provided with packing at the joint to make it air-tight. This cylinder J is in screw-threaded connection with the fixed cap-plate E, so as to admit of its being adjusted up or down within said cap-plate for a purpose that will be hereinafter described. In the lower head at of said cylinder is an air-inlet passage 0, closed by a suitably faced or packed valve K, controlled, to give it a quicker or more positive action in closing, by a light spring 8, arranged around an adjustable screw or stop t, applied to the lower end of the stem of the valve and whereby the action of the valve may be regulated as required. In this lower head a of the cylinder is also an air-escape vent a, which is opened more or less, as required, by an ad justable vent-plug or mutilated screw L, cut away on its one side.

Arranged to work up and down within the cylinder J and attached to the lower end of the rod F is a piston M, which may be constructed of a lower flanged central head a, screwing onto the bottom of the rod, an upper plate I) of a size to fit snugly but loosely within the cylinder, a flexible cup-packing c beneath said plate, forming an easy-moving but air-tight fit within the cylinder, a spring washer or plate d within the cup-packing that is between the latter and the lower flange of the head a,- and a mute to bind the whole firmly together, or the piston M may be otherwise suitably constructed. Between, this piston M and the upper head on of the cylin der J isa spring N, which is compressed as the piston moves upward, and by the screwthreaded connection of the cylinder J with the cap-plate E the tension of the spring N may be regulated as required by simply adjusting the cylinder up or down within the cap-plate E. This adjustment of the working cylinder of the device changing the actin g force ofthe spring N as required, and the adjustment of the vent-plug L to give aquicker or slower escape to the air in the cylinder J when the piston is making its downstroke, and the adjustment of the spring-controlled airinlet valve, all or severally aid to regulate the operation of the cover-closing device to the greatest nicety. The piston-rod F only passes loosely through the head m and cap-plate E, so as to form an air-passage outside of said rod in communication with or forming part of an open air-ductfin the upper portion of the frame-work of the closet to give a ready access of air to and egress of air from the cylinder J on the upper side of its piston M, or such air-duct may be otherwise arranged.

The operation is as follows: On opening the cover of the closet to its full extent, as shown in Fig. 3, the levers G, H, and I are contracted toward each other and are pushed back from their position (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) toward the wall in rear of the closet. This raises the piston-rod F and piston M and expels the air in the cylinder J'above the piston out through the openings around said rod in the upper cylinder-head m and capplate E and along the passage from whence it escapes. Such upward motion of the piston M on opening the cover 0 also compresses the spring N, and during such action the formation of a vacuum below the piston is avoided by the opening by external atmospheric pressure of the air-inletvalve K. This opening of the cover 0 carries it a little back of or beyond its center of gravity when the operator or person using the seat b releases his hit of the cover, which causes the spring N to exert a downward pressure upon the piston M, and the air-inlet valve K, aided by its spring 8, quickly closes. The cover 0 then slowly begins to close, the levers G, H, and I presenting but little friction and the downward movement of the spring only being long and strong enough to throw the cover 0 slightly forward, and while the occupant of the closet uses the seat said cover presses on his back, but almost imperceptibly by reason of its being so near the center of gravity and the cushion of air which is formed in the cylinder J below the piston M. When the occupant of the closet rises from and leaves the seat I), then the cover 0 slowly commences to complete its closing action, the spring N at first aiding it in passing over its center of gravity to a position in front thereof, which will make the weight of the cover effective to complete the closing. In closing the cover 0 throws the levers G, H, and I farther apart until they finally reach the position shown in Figs. 1

and 2, and as the cover closeshat 1s, during its closing movementthe piston M is retarded and forced downward against a cushion of air on its under side, which air .can only escape by the vent to in the lower head it of the cylinder, the vent-plug L being suitably adjusted for the purpose. This causes the cover in falling or closing to be controlled by the escape of air from below the piston M through the vent-hole a, air at the same time being free to enter the portlon of the cylinder above the piston by the passage f', and through the cap-piece E and upper cylinder-head m. Thus the falling or closing of the cover would be gradual and easy, whereby all noise or bang is or may be done away with.

In setting up the whole mechanism or applying'it to the cover 0 of the closet the vent device or plug L is first adjusted to give the cover any desired rapidity of falling motion, and then the cylinder J is screwed up or down in the cap-piece E to regulate the springN and give it just suificient power to push the cover 0 over its center of gravity.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the tubular stationary attaching-cap having means for securing it in place, of the adjustable cylinder screwed at its upper end into the said cap, an apertured head or cross-plate in the upper end of the cylinder and a head at its lower end having a valved inlet and outlet, the piston in the cylinder, the rod extending therefrom through said apertured head or plate and the cap, the spring between said piston and the said upper apertured head or plate, and'a lever mechanism for connecting the upper end of the piston-rod with the part to be operated, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the lever mechanism, the piston, its rod, and the cylinder having its outer end or head provided with two apertures, one of which is threaded, of a screw L, projecting upward into the threaded aperture and having one side cut away or inclined to form a vent, and an upward-opening inlet-valve closing the inner end of the other aperture and havingits stem extending downward therethrough and provided at its outer portion with a seating-spring and an adjust ing-screw, whereby both valves may be adjusted from the exterior of the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the verticallyswinging cover, of a stationary cylinder below and in rear thereof, the vertically-reciprocating piston in the cylinder and having a rod projecting upward, a spring between the upper side of the piston and its upper cylinder-head, and a bell-crank lever pivotally connected at its inner or lower end with the upper end of the piston-rod and also with the rear side of the cover, and whereby a. dead-center is prevented and the cover will always be closed whenever released, with the the air-cushioning cylinder J, substantially seat-frame in rear of the piston-rod, substanas specified. tially as set forth.

4. In devices of the characterdescribed, the WALTER RICE WEBSTER combination, with the hinged rising and falL Witnesses: ing cover, of the bell-crank G, the levers or P. A. CLUTE,

rods I H, the piston-rod F, the piston M, and E. S. CLUTE, 

